Masterfully Carved Red Pottery Jar by Linda Tafoya Sanchez

This masterfully carved red jar by Linda Tafoya Sanchez of Santa Clara Pueblo is a stunning example of traditional craftsmanship elevated with personal innovation. Measuring 6" in height and 10" in width, the jar is coil-built, hand-carved, and fired using traditional methods. Its deep red surface is highly polished, contrasting beautifully with the matte red in the recessed carved areas.

The design is a harmonious blend of traditional Santa Clara motifs — keys, bear paws, rain symbols, Avanyu, and stepped patterns — enhanced with unique additions such as a flower shedding its pollen and a squash blossom. Each element is meticulously carved, with smoothly rounded edges that create a sense of warmth and fluidity in the overall design of the jar. The interior remains unpolished, revealing the natural color of the clay.

This exceptional piece reflects Linda Tafoya Sanchez's mastery of form and technique, seamlessly balancing tradition with artistic individuality, a characteristic of many innovators from Santa Clara Pueblo. Signed on the bottom as Linda Tafoya Sanchez, Santa Clara Pueblo.

Linda Tafoya Sanchez (b. 1962), also known as Linda Tafoya Oyenque, is a Santa Clara Pueblo potter and granddaughter of Margaret Tafoya. Trained by her aunt Mary Ester Archuleta, she has expanded beyond traditional blackware, blending burnished and matte finishes and incorporating micaceous clay. A highly awarded artist, she has received honors at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Museum, and more. Notably, she was commissioned to create a piece for the Prince of Spain.

Condition: new

Provenance: this Masterfully Carved Red Pottery Jar by Linda Tafoya Sanchez comes from the artist

Recommended Reading: Pueblo Indian Pottery 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Lee and Betty Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, Contemporary Southwest Indian Pottery, Linda Tafoya Sanchez, Mary Ester Archuleta